Timelines
by chomper318
Summary: Writings on what the Doctor does to keep Rose fresh in his mind. It's something he's not supposed to do. Post Doomsday.
1. Timeline

Timelines  
by Chomper318

Disclaimer: BBC owns all.

Author's Note: This short fic has expanded due to the muse singing to me. Reviews are always welcome.

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Chapter One: Timeline

He's not supposed to cross his own timeline. In fact, he's constantly moving, wandering, traveling, and adventuring because he's not supposed to cross his own timeline. Horrible things happen when one crosses one's own timeline: reapers, deaths, destruction, unraveling of the universe, and all that sort of stuff. However, even with good intentions, it happens. Usually, on accident, because he forgets that he was there _before_ buying milk when he is there _now_ trying to buy milk. He runs into himself in the dairy aisle and with a smile and a wave, he backs away and leaves. He will eventually return later (or earlier) so he may get some milk. However. Every now and then, on purpose, because he does not want to forget...Rose.

He can see them from his perch. It's a windy day, and Rose is lying on his jacket. Next to her is the brand new tenth version of himself. He smiles at them because they're so happy together. He focuses on Rose and tries to memorize every little detail about her. How she laughs, how she tucks a wayward strand of hair behind her ears, how she sticks her tongue out just a little. They're talking. He remembers the conversation they had that day about what was and what is and what will be. The Doctor and Rose, just lying about, chatting it up. Rose looks out towards New New York.

His old self looks up and back, sensing him. He smiles and waves and backs away. He leaves himself there to be with his Rose (what little time). His Rose.


	2. Lost in Time

Timelines

by Chomper318

Disclaimer: BBC owns all.

Author's Note: This short fic has expanded due to the muse singing to me. Reviews are always welcome.

88888

Chapter 2: Lost in Time

It's quiet in the TARDIS, and he doesn't like it. During these moments where there're no distractions to occupy his thoughts, his brain starts to think, remember, and mourn for all those who he has lost. Lost in time. How many has he lost? Too many. He thinks back to Romana.

Haughty and arrogant Romana with her criticisms. Oh, how the Doctor smiles at the memories. Romana strikes the Doctor as…icy when he first met her. Over time, particularly after her regeneration, she changes and accepts the Doctor for who he is. They're friends, companions, fellow Time Lord/Lady who're out traveling about the universe. The Doctor stares off into space and replays what was in his mind. His lips tug upwards every now and then as he takes a trip down memory lane until he remembers that Romana is died. Died because of the Time War. Died because he can no longer sense her (or any of them) in his mind. Died because of him.

He shakes his head and walks towards the console. He needs to do something. Rescue someone or something. Now. He strokes the console and says, "Come on, girl. Take me somewhere. Anywhere."

And with that statement, he spins the dial and pulls the lever.

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The TARDIS wheezes and whirls until she finally grinds to a halt. The Doctor grabs his long brown coat from the railings and heads out the door. He wonders where (and when) the TARDIS chose for him. He walks down the paved road and notes the brick houses with the Union Jack hanging out their windows. He continues to walk down the empty road that is devoid of anyone or thing when he gets a sinking feeling that he has been here before. He quickens his steps and sees the flyers on the lamppost. Missing.

"You've got to be kidding me!" cries the Doctor as he twirls around and takes in his surrounding. London. 2012. Olympics. Rose.

He turns around and practically runs back to the TARDIS. He wrenches the door open.

"Why?" he asks as he started to pull random levers and switch random switches.

He needs to leave this place. He has to go and travel elsewhere—anywhere but here where Rose is so close. Oh, Rose. He slows down in his frantic need to escape from London, 2012. His mind wanders.

Rose. Sweet, brave, fantastic Rose. He knows he should leave. Timelines and whatnot, but. He undoes the levers and switches. He gently strokes the console and then he leaves again.

He spots her farther down the paved road and quickly ducks behind a car. She's alone, and she's pick-axing the road. He looks around and aside from the city worker who's yelling at her, she's alone. Where is he? Must be lost in a child's scribbles. He relaxes and just watches her.

She wears her blonde hair in a ponytail that day. A bright yellow shirt over black pants with a light blue jeans jacket. She's beautiful.

Just then, she looks up and he ducks down. Too close. He slowly pokes his head up and one quick glance back at his Rose, he starts to head back to the TARDIS.

Once inside, he walks up to the console and quietly says, "Thank you."


	3. Choices

Timelines

by Chomper318

Disclaimer: BBC owns all.

Author's Note: This short fic has expanded due to the muse singing to me. Reviews are always welcome.

88888

Chapter 3: Choices

There are times when one stands before a fork in the road. Does one turn left or does one turn right? And does it really matter? The Doctor knows that it matters because that's how all parallel universes are created. One turns left here and the world goes _spliiitttt. _ Well, maybe without that particular sound effect, but it's true none-ever-the-less. A new co-existing universe now occurs side-by-side along with the original one. And so it goes with each decision and each action. There are consequences in the worlds. Traveling between parallel universes use to be easy when the Eye of Harmony existed—when Time Lords and Time Ladies existed. But with the Time War, that too has ended. Decision, action, consequence.

He has gone back and crossed his own timeline multiple times already. All just to see Rose. His Rose. Left or right, which way should he go? He goes towards Rose.

The Tardis travels until she gets to where she wanted to go. The Doctor does not specify the time or location; he just wants to see Rose. Since the Tardis misses her link as well, she obliges. She sets a course and goes about it until it's time to slowly pull out of the vortex and materializes not too far from a church. The Doctor steps past the wooden doors and sees her kneeling next to her dying father.

November 7, 1987. The day Rose saves her father and unleashes the Reapers onto the world. She says she's sorry, and he believes her. He can see his old self—his ninth self with the daft face, dumbo ears, and leather jacket—with Rose. They leave, hand in hand, walking towards the Tardis. He looks after them, remembering how her hand fits perfectly into his. How sad she is right now and how he comforts her at this moment.

They are in front of the Tardis now. Rose enters and at this moment, his old self looks back, scans a bit, and then looks straight at him. The Doctor simply smiles at his old self, waves a bit, and starts to back away. He eventually turns and heads back to the Tardis. As he walks towards his Tardis alone, the previous Doctor continues to stare at him, noting that Rose is gone.


	4. Interlude

Timelines

by Chomper318

Disclaimer: BBC owns all.

Author's Note: This short fic has expanded due to the muse singing to me. Reviews are always welcome.

88888

Chapter 4: Interlude—Rose

Rose Tyler stares at the case file that she's _supposed_ to proofread and correct for Mickey but finds that she just can't concentrate on the report about an alien artifact. She examines the said-artifact, which is currently sitting on her desk, noting the smooth cool metallic surface, the round-ish slightly heavier than expected shape, and the fact that it is quite bright. However, as far as she's concerned, the thing doesn't seem to do anything other than emits different colors at certain intervals.

_It's like one of those weird ambience globes. They don't do anything except to make the room look pretty with its pastel lights. Maybe it's to make an alien ship seem more like home._

She sighs and simply let her mind wanders to moments where life was exciting and full of adventures. Of course, that's not to say that her current alternative life on "Pete's World" is boring and full of the mundane. Oh no, it's quite the opposite. She loves her job at Torchwood. She is one of the best field agents, and she knows her aliens due to her time with the Doctor. It's just that the_ afterwards _are boring and a bit mundane. She never has to write a report for the Doctor giving a detailed descriptive summary of the events and an accurate summation of whatever alien objects she may have found while out in the field. No, she can't even begin to imagine how the Doctor will react to the post play by play (properly recorded on triple-duplicated forms).

This last thought brings a smile to Rose. She wonders what he's doing right this moment. She hopes he has found someone to have adventures with because she hates the idea that he's all-alone. As much as she wants to be with him, and she admits that she can get a bit jealous, she cannot condemn him to a lonely existence. No, it's always better with two.

Rose leans into her leather chair until she's looking up at the ceiling. She lets her thoughts drift slowly past the many adventures she has had with the Time Lord. She thinks back to her first encounter with her "original" Doctor—with the daft face and the leather jacket. She continues her journey through her memories and remembers her first adventure with the "new" Doctor. New New York with the apple grass! How brilliant is that?

She swivels her chair back and picks up the report again. She really needs to get back to work. Daydreams are fine and lovely, but life must be lived and experienced each day. She drops the report and picks up the orb. This time noting that it's glowing blue. She gathers her thoughts about the object before she finally concludes that it isn't anything more than a decorative alien art piece when she remembers the time she was alone and without the Doctor because he was stuck in a kid's drawing.

London, 2012. The Olympics. She had to rescue the Doctor. She was pick-axing the street road. She looked up and swore she saw the Doctor swiftly ducking behind a car.

She shakes her head. Strange—she puzzles over why she would think about the deadly children's scribbles. After all, when all is said and done, it _so_ isn't one of her favorite adventures even though it ends up all right. And she's confused over why she would've seen the Doctor hiding behind a car when he was stuck in the drawing.

Before she can continue with her questions and thoughts, the object in her hand begins to heat up. Rose stares at the orb as it changes colors from blue to gold.


	5. Intersection

Timelines

by Chomper318

Disclaimer: BBC owns all.

Author's Note: This short fic has expanded due to the muse singing to me. Reviews are always welcome. This chapter includes plot elements from the novel The Stone Rose.

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Chapter 5: Intersection

The Doctor is in Rome. Ancient Rome to be exact and to be even more exact, he's actually a statue right now. At least, he _was_ when he _first_ came to ancient Rome with Rose. Currently, he's hiding behind a tree while looking at Rose as she makes her way out of the woods. Her face is grim, but it is expected considering that she's all alone right now due to a silly GENIE.

The Doctor secretly wishes he could run up to Rose and hug her and swing her about. But he knows he can't and wishes are especially dangerous when made near the GENIE. Luckily, he has taken some precaution to ensure that he's not detected by anyone or thing before coming here. Good ol' TARDIS key for it won't do if someone sees him. From the tree, the Doctor can watch Rose and just be _near_ her for a few stolen moments.

He misses her. He misses her so much that he's willing to cross his own timeline to see her. He knows deep inside (and certainly the previous versions of himself are screaming at him right now) that he shouldn't be doing this. He also knows that his behavior borderlines a stalker of some sort, but he can't help it. This is the only way to be with Rose again. And so the Doctor follows Rose in the woods in ancient Rome.

After getting lost only a few times, Rose finally makes her way out of the woods. She gets near a cart and rather unceremoniously dumps something into the back of the cart. She straightens out her dress—not toga—and climbs up on the front. She will maneuver the donkey to town. Rose glances back towards the woods with a sad look in her eyes. Then she narrows them. _Is that?_ No. It must be her imagination. The Doctor is gone, but she will get him back. She will figure it all out and see to it that he will not stay petrified and motionless forever. She promises. And with a flick of her wrist, she begins to guide the cart back to Gracilis's place.

The Doctor frowns. _Did she see me? _But that's impossible. He runs his hand and messes with his already tousled brown hair. He decides against following Rose although that's his originally intention. Instead, he turns away from her and walks in the opposite direction.

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_In a parallel universe and some time in the future…_

Rose stares at the orb as it changes colors from blue to gold. The object continually intensifies in heat until it's almost painful for Rose to hold it in her palm. The world (or worlds) shifts around her. Torchwood desk. A photo of her with her mum, dad, Mickey, and baby brother. Files on her desk. They all bleed into one another.

In the back of her mind, she knows she should drop the sphere. But instinct tells her to hold on, and she does so for her instinct always sounds like the Doctor. She holds on and her vision begins to falter. Desk, photo, files, light, lots of light. The kind of light that burns. Trees, flowers, grass, light, lots of light. The kind of light that heals. The next thing Rose sees in a blink of the eye is nothing.


	6. Intersection: II

Timelines

by Chomper318

Disclaimer: BBC owns all.

Author's Note: This fic started out as snippets of the Doctor's story of crossing his own timeline. Now, it morphed to a reunion fic of some sort. Only the muse will know now. Please review.

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Chapter 6: Intersection II

It's strange to feel nothing. Yet, this is exactly how it is for Rose. There is nothing to smell, nothing warm or cool, nothing to hear, nothing to taste, and nothing to see. Then, just as suddenly as there is nothing, everything comes rushing towards and her senses sing. She can smell the grass and trees. It's warm, and she can feel the sun's rays on her. The birds are chirping nearby, and a soft wind blows and rustles the leaves. Taste…well her mouth is dried at the moment. As for sight, she opens her eyes.

Rose looks at her surrounding and sees that she's in a forest of some sort with her Torchwood issued desk nowhere in sight. In her hand is the alien sphere, now cool to touch and emitting a faint blue glow—nothing like the bright gold seen earlier. _Where am I? _She turns around and around just noting the trees and shrubberies. She doesn't recognize the place. She looks at the orb and not knowing what to think or do, she shakes it. Nothing happens. She sighs. _Well, there's nothing here. First thing first is to survey the surrounding._

Rose picks a direction and begins to walk when the orb starts getting a little warm. It's not searing hot like before but it's definitely warming up. She continues to walk in the same direction when she decides to test out a hypothesis. She turns sharply to the right and walks towards a new direction. Immediately, the orb cools down. _Ah…so there's something up ahead…something the alien night-light is reacting to._ Rose keeps on walking, all the while using the alien artifact as her compass.

She must've walked for about ten minutes passing by nothing but more greenery when the scene before her leaves her breathless. Standing in front of her is a small temple of some sort. It's neglected based on the gaping holes in its structure. Somewhere in the deep recess of her mind, a memory struggles to come to the forefront. The orb in her hand is definitely getting warmer now. She looks down at it and notes that it glowing brighter than before. She turns her attention back to the temple and breaks into a run. As she moves closer and closer, she hopes and wishes. Soon, there in front of her is her Doctor.

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The Doctor is inside the TARDIS. His hands linger on knobs and levers as he thinks back to Rose. He really has to stop chasing after dreams and gingerbread houses, so with a quick twist of the knob and a pull of the lever, the TARDIS dematerializes to the vortex.


End file.
